Plato - background Flashcards
What was Plato
he was a greek philosopher and author
When did plato live
In grand scheme
he lived through the Peloponesian war (Athens vs Sparta). 5 years after the war ended in Plato’s teenage years Socrates commited suicide.
Why did Socrates commit suicide
He was sentenced to suicide for ‘corrupting the youth of Athens and impiety’
How did Socrates’ death affect Plato
It was a big public suicide which deastated Plato. He never went on to marry instead devoting his life to writing dialogues in which Socrates was often the protagonist.
define dialectic
A philosophical discussion where there are continual questions on issues until the opposition us completely confused and can no longer express their opinion.
What are the main platonic theories
- The soul
- The forms
Outline Plato’s view of the soul
Plato believed in reincarnation and that the soul was made of three parts - The Tripartite soul.
Represented as: a rider on a chariot pulled by 2 horses. The rider is reason (wisdom). The dark horse is appetite (for food drink and sex). The light horse is spirit (honour).
The horses are desires, it is the rider’s job to stop the dark horse from dragging them down, and let the light horse raise them up.
honour - seeking the truth/ creating things that will outlast you
What did plato mean by: the forms
Plato believed that everything in the world that we percieve with our senses are imperfect projections of things called The Forms. They are the perfect example of everything we percieve
Explain/ outline The Forms
The forms are the perfect examples of everything we percieve in this world. The most important being; the form of good, the form of beauty, and the form of justice. They are the perfect examples of good, beauty and justice that we should strive to achieve.
When does Plato explain the relationship between the soul and the forms
in Phaedrus (another play/ discussion/ writing)
summaries the relationship between the soul and the forms in Phaedrus
In the begining our souls glimpsed the forms before crashing and falling down to earth.
Therefore we have a latent memory of the forms that we have to nurture and develope through philosophical discussion.
e.g. By discussing the nature of virue we come closer to recollecting the form of virtue. Once we achieve recollection and remember what true virtue is, our souls are truly happy.
